1954 United States Senate election in New Jersey
← 1948 November 2, 1954 1960 →
 
Nominee Clifford P. Case Charles R. Howell
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 861,528 858,158
Percentage 48.66% 48.47%
County results
Case:      50–60%      60–70%
Howell:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
U.S. senator before election

Robert C. Hendrickson
Republican

Elected U.S. Senator

Clifford P. Case
Republican

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The 1954 United States Senate election in New Jersey was held on November 2, 1954. Republican U.S Representative Clifford P. Case defeated Democratic U.S. Representative Charles R. Howell with 48.66% of the vote.

This election was decided by the fewest votes (3,507) and narrowest percentage margin (0.19%) in New Jersey history.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declined

Results

Case was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

1954 Republican Senate primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Clifford Case 336,514 100.00%
Total votes 336,514 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Howell was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

1954 Democratic Senate primary[1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Charles R. Howell 230,250 100.00%
Total votes 230,250 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Campaign

During the campaign, Case openly criticized Senator Joseph McCarthy, and pledged to vote against seating McCarthy on any committee with investigative functions.[2] McCarthy's supporters called him "a pro-Communist Republicrat" and "Stalin's choice for Senator."[3] The Star-Ledger quoted former Communist Party leader Bella Dodd as saying that Case's sister Adelaide was "an active member of several Communist front groups." It was later revealed, however, that the Adelaide Case in question was not the candidate's sister but a college professor who had died in 1948.[4][5] A conservative faction within the Republican Party unsuccessfully attempted to force Case off the ballot, also proposing a write-in campaign for former U.S. Representative Fred A. Hartley, Jr., co-author of the Taft-Hartley Act.[6] Case was endorsed by President Eisenhower and Vice President Richard M. Nixon.[7]

Results

1954 United States Senate election in New Jersey[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Clifford P. Case 861,528 48.66% Decrease1.33
Democratic Charles R. Howell 858,158 48.47% Increase1.17
Independent Henry B. Krajewski 35,421 2.00% N/A
Independent Fred A. Hartley, Jr. (write-in) 7,025 0.40% N/A
Socialist Labor Albert Ronis 4,832 0.27% Increase0.06
Socialist Workers George Breitman 3,590 0.20% Decrease0.23
Republican hold Swing

References

  1. ^ a b "1954 Primary Results" (PDF). New Jersey Secretary of State.
  2. ^ Current Biography. H.W. Wilson Company. 1956.
  3. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (March 7, 1982). "Ex-Senator Clifford P. Case, 77, Is Dead". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Back in the Gutter". Time, October 25, 1954. Accessed June 8, 2008.
  5. ^ "McCarthyism's Effects In New Jersey". The New York Times, June 28, 1992. Accessed June 8, 2008.
  6. ^ "New Jersey: A Political Microcosm". TIME. October 18, 1954.
  7. ^ "Clifford P. Case II". Rutgers University.
  8. ^ "NJ US Senate". Retrieved February 26, 2020.
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